Our final full day in Sydney, Australia, before embarking on our 14-day circumnavigation of New Zealand, had us transferring from our condo accommodations to the Sydney Harbour Hotel, just a stone’s throw from the cruise terminal. That would cut into our sightseeing a bit, but after dropping our bags at the hotel, we headed out to check out Bondi Beach, Sydney’s most famous beach. We again took advantage of Sydney’s great public transit system, traveling by tram, train and bus to the iconic seaside location.

Unfortunately, though the day was warm, a low marine layer hugged the water and the nearby cliffs, obscuring them and lending the sea a grayish cast. That didn’t deter the swimmers and surfers who crowded the sand and the water, though. Although it was only about noon on a day when many schools were still in session, we found beachgoers of all ages enthusiastically enjoying a lively Christmas holiday atmosphere. The waves weren’t particularly high, but there were surfers and body boarders out nevertheless.

Bondi features a long, wide, curved sweep of very soft, golden sand bracketed by rocky cliffs crowded with condos and vacation homes.  A wide, paved promenade backs the beach, and it is edged with a boulevard lined with souvenir shops, pubs, restaurants and boutiques. It reminded me very much of the surfing town of Nazaré in Portugal, which we visited in 2019 on our road trip on the Iberian Peninsula. Lifeguard stands and convenient outdoor showers dot the shore, and a statue, known popularly as the Bondi Beach Surfing Statue, commemorates the surf life savers who patrol the beach.

We rolled up our pants legs and kicked off our shoes to stroll down the beach and splash in the Tasman Sea. I expected the water to be somewhat warm but was surprised to note that it didn’t feel much “warmer” than the Pacific along our Oregon beaches which, believe me, is numbingly chilly, even in the summer. After making our way back up to the promenade and taking advantage of those showers to clean the sand off our feet, we strolled the shops, picking up a few souvenirs  and grabbing some delicious and very reasonably priced sushi before making our way back to Sydney.

We checked in to our rooms at the hotel, finding them to be spacious and offering views over The Rocks streetscape. We took advantage of the convenient location and strolled the shops a bit, stopping in for a little wine tasting at Barrelhouse Cellars before dinner, just a block down the street from our hotel. The shop offers an impressive array of quality Australian wines, spirits and beers (as well as some international selections), and its friendly proprietor set us up at a table on the back patio to sample flights of Aussie reds and whites. One can also enjoy flights of gin, rum or whisky, all produced here.

The next morning we arose to find our ship, Royal Princess, had docked in the wee hours  . . . and that rain had moved in. That meant a short but soggy slog to the ship with all our bags, and then we endured about two hours of queues to tag and drop our bags, go through border security, and screen our documents with Princess personnel. I was thankful we had already filled out all our forms online and received our medallions, Princess’ wearable tech that makes shipboard life very convenient. Who knows how long it may have taken if we hadn’t? Still, it was very well-organized, considering how many people had to be processed in just four hours or so.

Once aboard, we could go straight to our staterooms. We booked a mini-suite and were delighted with the roominess and generous storage space, including a safe. Our room included a separate sitting area with sofa and chair, coffee table, desk,  minibar and flat-screen TV (offering lots of entertainment options).   The bed was very comfortable, with a second TV mounted on the wall opposite, and I appreciated the light switches located right by the headboard. I also appreciated the roomy (for a cruise ship) bathroom, with a full tub and a spacious vanity. Our steward, Allen, refreshed the room at least twice daily, providing us with plenty of fluffy towels and refilling the ice bucket often.

I was impressed that even before we pushed back from the dock, some of our bags had been delivered to our room. When you consider that there are around 3,000 guests on board, it takes some major hustle and organizational skills to get all their luggage sorted and delivered. I stepped out on our balcony to take a few last shots of Sydney   before we headed forward to our friends’ stateroom, located at the front of the ship and also on Deck 15, the top stateroom deck. Paul and Julie also had a mini-suite, configured slightly differently than ours but with a huge balcony overlooking the bow and offering great views in our direction of travel. What a unique and magnificent perspective of the opera house it provided, and as the sun shone out once again, we toasted our good fortune and a wonderful cruise ahead.

We slowly made our way down through the busy harbor, sharing the water with ferries, naval vessels and pleasure craft, finally approaching the cliffs that separate the harbor from the Tasman Sea.   As we entered the open sea, we could look far down the coast at the many headlands fading into the sea mist. Ahead lay three days at sea, time to rest up from our busy days in Sydney and prepare for our exploration of New Zealand.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor